170. Memorandum of Conference With President Eisenhower0
OTHERS PRESENT
- General de Gaulle, Colonel Walters
The President asked General de Gaulle whether he had read Khrushchev’s speech at Baku1 and General de Gaulle said he had. The President said that one thing that bothered him about these speeches of Khrushchev’s is that having taken these extremely firm positions he found himself obliged to abide by them. General de Gaulle said that he did say these things, but he was not sure he really meant them, and he did feel that sometime during the conference we would probably have to say “No” to Mr. Khrushchev, and the President nodded agreement.
[Page 359]On taking leave of the President, General de Gaulle said “Now that I have seen you I have even greater confidence in our cause.” The President replied, “We shall be standing together.”
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Eisenhower Papers, DDE Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Walters on April 27. The meeting was held in the Red Room at the White House when de Gaulle called to say goodbye.↩
- In Khrushchev’s speech at Baku on April 25, he reiterated the maximum Soviet demands on Germany and Berlin. For text, see Pravda, April 26, 1960.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩